The herons are wading birds in the Ardeidae family. Some are called egrets or bitterns instead of herons. Within the family, all members of the genera Botaurus and Ixobrychus are referred to as bitterns, and - including the Zigzag Heron or Zigzag Bittern - are a monophyletic group within the Ardeidae. However, egrets aren't a biologically distinct group from the herons, and tend to be named differently because they're mainly white and/or have decorative plumes. Although egrets have the same bui… (More on Heron)